Lot details
Registration No: N/A
Frame No: XB318376L
Engine No: BB318426
cc: 350
MOT Expiry Date: N/A

Guided by Bert Perrigo, who himself achieved considerable success in off road competition, the BSA works team, was, in the post war years a force to be reckoned with, being able as they were to hire the best riders available in significant numbers, giving the team a depth of talent that others could only envy. BSA works riders were provided with machines that, although apparently similar to the production models, had benefitted from the works "magic wand" being passed over them, differing significantly in detail.
LOH 42 is one such machine. It was provided to the well known Irish trials and road racing star Terry Hill to ride in the 1949 British Experts Trial held at Exeter alongside other BSA works stars such as Bill Nicholson, Fred Rist and eventual sidecar class winner Harold Tozer. Entering the last stage of the trial Terry Hill was sharing the lead with Matchless mounted Artie Ratcliffe, who had won the trial the previous year at Skipton. The Bradford rider was the first to enter the final stage, unfortunately taking it in the wrong direction despite "cleaning" it. The organisers allowed him to retake the stage in the correct direction with another clean having seen Terry Hill drop a couple of dabs that relegated him to second place. Bert Perrigo was sufficiently impressed with the Irishman's performance to give him the bike and the not inconsiderable sum of £1,000, establishing a relationship that would exist between Terry and the BSA works that would only end with the arrival of a Bultaco in 1965.
The machine at the time of the British Experts was displacing 350cc, although according to Albert Clarke, Terry's mechanic, Terry converted it to 500cc once back in Ireland, gaining considerable success in both Irish trials and major events such as the Scottish Six Days. BSA supplied Terry with a C15 following its introduction which ultimately resulted in the big beeza being retired form competition use although Terry continued to use the machine outside of competition, regularly taking it to the Island to use as a tender and to ride the course prior to competing in the 250cc TT on an NSU. The registration number LOH 42 was Terry's personal number and would subsequently adorn the little 250 and the later Spanish two stroke.
LOH 42 is presented today in lovely condition having been restored to a high standard. It now displaces its original 350cc's and displays many of the refinements peculiar to the works bikes. It is offered with a DVD of Albert Clarke discussing Terry's career in general and the BSA in particular.